Colossians 1:28 (ASV)

Passage

whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ;

Nearby Context

Colossians 1:26 [even] the mystery which hath been hid for ages and generations: but now hath it been manifested to his saints,

Colossians 1:27 to whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Colossians 1:28 whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ;

Colossians 1:29 whereunto I labor also, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "proclaim", "admonishing", "teaching", "wisdom", "present", "perfect", and "christ". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "proclaim" and "admonishing", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 27's "to whom God was pleased to make..." into verse 29's "whereunto I labor also striving according to...", so "proclaim" and "admonishing" belong inside that flow. In Colossians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "proclaim" and "admonishing" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.